Family deny man ambushed in street was Yardie

The family of a man shot dead in the street today insisted he was not a Yardie gang member.

Nigerian Eric Akinniranye, 25, was killed by two hooded men who chased him along the high street in Camberwell.

The attackers, in a dark Mercedes four-wheel drive, apparently knocked him from his motorcycle before shooting him in the neck at point-blank range while passers-by dived for cover on Saturday evening.

It later emerged that Akinniranyehad been released early from prison, where he was serving 10 years for drugs and firearms offences.

But in a statement his family denounced as "lies" rumours that he was connected to any Yardie gang.

The statement said: "Eric Akinniranye was a very loving, happy, cheerful son, brother, uncle, fiancé ¡nd friend who left a good memory with anyone he came into contact with.

"He is of Nigerian descent, ,from a strong Christian family background and not a Yardie."

Police described the killing as "heinous", adding: "He was targeted quite deliberately."

Akinniranye had been serving his sentence at Coldingley prison, near Woking. He was allowed out after three years on a four-week placement working with disabled people in Cambridge. His family said of his temporary release: "For someone to be allowed out of prison after such a short time signified that, yes, he made some mistakes, yet he learned from them and was turning his life around, which warranted his 28 days' release to do community work and to reunite with the family.

"We would appeal to anyone who has information to please come forward and help the police with their enquiries." A Mercedes matching the one involved was later found in Lyndhurst Grove, Peckham.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Valentine said: "This is a busy London street at a time of day when there were a lot of people around. I would appeal to any witnesses to contact police with any information, however insignificant they think it may be."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8785 8056 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.